Carbondale Reporter

Rep. Patrick Windhorst thinks that the SAFE-T Act's elimination of cash bail is going to put more criminals back on the street.

“Eliminating cash bail will make our communities less safe and put people in danger," Paul Jacobs said. "Obviously, if you put more criminals back on the streets, you increase the likelihood of more crimes being committed but the elimination of cash bail could have a chilling effect on potential arrests. Without cash bail, witnesses to crimes know the suspected criminals will be back on the street and they know their lives will be in danger and they less cooperative with law enforcement. No matter how you look at it, eliminating cash bail will lead to more violence in our communities."

Supporters of the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (SAFE-T) Act, including the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, point to the legislation as a step towards making the justice system more equitable for minorities. Republicans have called the SAFE-T Act a “de facto defund the police bill" because of the additional regulations it places on police officers. The SAFE-T will eliminate cash bail in Illinois, effective Jan. 1, 2023, which critics claim will lead to more criminals out on the streets.

When asked about whether the elimination of cash bail would make the justice system more fair, Rep. Jacobs replied, “We can look at ways to reform bail to make it less onerous for low-income people. But we should make sure no matter what we do, we focus on the need to keep our communities safe.”

Multiple state's attorneys expressed concern over the legislation at a media briefing in April, according to the Center Square. One of the biggest concerns for many is the elimination of cash bail. State Sen. Dale Fowler (R-Harrisburg) said that some of the provisions regarding law enforcement are driving people away from the field. “It's been very frustrating to see our law enforcement officers retire early, some of our sheriffs retire early, and our students not wanting to go into the law enforcement field,” Fowler said. Regarding the SAFE-T Act, Rep. Jacobs said, “There are all kinds of problems with the SAFE-T Act. It eliminates cash bail and bans officers from detaining people for certain types of offenses. It is a soft on crime initiative. We are less safe as a result of this legislation. It needs to be repealed.”

Gov. Pritzker recently defended the elimination of cash bail, according to The Center Square. "We do not want someone in jail because they were arrested for a low-level crime like shoplifting to be sitting in jail for months or maybe even years," Pritzker said. "At the same time, someone who is a wealthy drug dealer, perhaps accused of murder and arrested, can show up with a suitcase full of money and get out of jail."